The first assault is the abuse.
The second assault is what happens when survivors speak out.
When survivors speak about about abuse, they often expect support. Instead, many encounter disbelief, retaliation, psychiatric harm, and institutional betrayal.
This is the Second Assault
Examples Include:
Being disbelieved
Psychiatric retaliation
Institutional Cover-up
Retraumatizing investigations
Why this Matters?
For many survivors, the trauma does not end when the abuse stops.
When survivors seek help from systems meant to protect them, medical care, law enforcement, schools, courts, and mental health services, they may instead encounter disbelief, coercion, misdiagnosis, or neglect.
These responses can create a second assault: a form of institutional betrayal that deepens harm, delays healing, and silences survivors.
Preventing this harm requires systemic change.
The Second Assault Project works to advance trauma-informed policies, professional training, and survivor-centered practices that reduce retraumatization and promote accountability.
Studies suggest that as many as 90% of survivors experience secondary victimization when interacting with legal or institutional systems.
Second Assault refers to the harm that occurs when survivors of abuse are met with disbelief, coercion, misdiagnosis, or neglect by the very systems meant to protect them.
Through research, lived experience, and interdisciplinary training, this platform seeks to illuminate institutional retraumatization and promote trauma-informed reform.
Services
Education and Training
Professional education on trauma-informed systems, forensic considerations, and institutional accountability.
Consultation
Institutional consultation focused on reducing retraumatization risk and strengthening survivor-centered practices.
Advocacy
We want to hear from you and learn from your experiences. Your voice matters. If you are open to sharing your story, we would welcome the opportunity to connect and better understand the challenges survivors encounter.
Who We Work With:
Healthcare systems and psychiatric facilities
Child advocacy and protection agencies
Legal professionals navigating trauma-related cases
Universities and professional organizations
Survivors of child maltreatment and/or systemic abuse
